


It's Rotten Work

by Withstarryeyes



Series: BINGO [5]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Annoyed Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Bones is So Done, Cadet James T. Kirk, Chills, Cold, College AU, Fever, James T. Kirk & Leonard "Bones" McCoy Friendship, James T. Kirk Has Issues, James T. Kirk refuses to ask for help, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Shivering, Sick Fic, Sick James T. Kirk, Sick Jim, academy au, cough
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 18:15:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20394028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Withstarryeyes/pseuds/Withstarryeyes
Summary: Prompt Fill for "complaining about being too hot or too cold"





	It's Rotten Work

“How in the devil’s hell are you wearing a sweater right now?” Bones asked, his drawl heavy on the vowels. 

Jim shrugged, not an unusual maneuver from him, but it was usually a lot suaver, a lot more cheeky, a lot more charming. But then again, Jim was usually a lot more charming than _this_. “It’s cold,” he snuffed and rubbed the tip of his nose with a tissue that looked like it had been shredded, taped back together, and then dunked in a vat of liquid. 

Bones shook his head but didn’t comment further. He needed some vodka before he started in on his roommate’s insane habits and inability to admit when he was feeling less than one hundred percent. Bones’ bed, for the most part, was as he left it. Thank god for that, he thought. He didn’t want to think about Jim bedding some chick and using all the space in their dorm for the activity. He liked his side untouched, thank you very much. 

He unshouldered his duffle bag and took off his coat, laying his scarf and mittens on the bed to dry. Despite what Jim claimed, it was boiling in here. Bones would be surprised if Jim had turned the radiator off at all during winter break, or if he’d left it pumping in a sealed-off room for weeks. 

Jim snuffed and flopped down on the chair in the corner of the room, facing the TV. He looked miserable. His hair was dark and unwashed, his eyes dropping under oily eyelids and crusty eyelashes, and his face? Bones had never seen it so pale, with bright red blooms on his cheeks. There was no doubt in his mind that Jim was sick. What Bones was going to be able to do about it was another story. 

“I’m turning the radiator off,” Bones said. Jim nodded his head, listless in the chair. He looked thin too, Bones thought. He wondered if Jim had been eating.

He opened the windows too once the heat had been turned off and eyed Jim warily, seeing the glassiness to the blue rings around blown-out pupils. Jim shivered and curled further into himself. 

Bones sighed and draped a blanket over him. He pulled out a couple of take-out menus and put his feet up on the ottoman, just a few spaces away from Jim. He didn’t say anything when Jim scooted closer, pulling the blanket taught across his chest, or when Jim finally pressed himself against Bones’ side. 

“Anything particular you’d like for dinner?” Bones shot out casually, wincing at the heat he could feel plastered against his side. 

“Not hungry,” Jim whined and let his head fall down on Bones’ shoulder. 

“If you’re not going to eat then you have to let me look you over.” 

Pleading eyes met his and Bones sighed, hating that this was his job, that he had to make Jim sit there while Bones prodded and poked him. But he was training to be a medic for christ’s sake and Jim not liking doctors wasn’t going to change that. “Don’t look at me like that. You’re sick, Jim.”

He ducked his head under the blanket, only the tips of his blonde hair sticking out. Bones heard him mumble something but couldn’t make it out. 

“Open,” he commanded once he came back with an old thermometer. The medic program he was in insisted they learned ancient methods of medicine in case they were ever stranded without access to technology.

“Don’t wan-” He shoved the thermometer in mid-whine and Jim clamped his mouth shut, glaring daggers at him. 

When Bones pulled it out Jim coughed into his elbow, the sound wet and harsh and hacking. Bones just sighed, read the temperature (way too high) and pulled a hypo out from his bag.

“No, absolutely not! I’m fine.”

“You are not fine,” Bones snapped, at the end of his rope. “You’re burning up in a room hotter than Georgia in the middle of July, your nose is raw, your lips are torn to shreds and you’re shivering like a chihuahua stuck in a snow storm.”

Jim shivered, pulling his arms across his chest like it would protect him from Bones’ cruelty. 

Bones stepped forward, raising his arm with the hypo in his hand. 

“_Leonard_,” Jim whined and pinned him down with his wide, bloodshot eyes.

“Oh no, that may have worked on me fifteen minutes ago but I am through. It will only take a second.”

“I hate hypos. I’m not even sick.” 

That stalled Bones and he sat down next to Jim on the couch. “Look, I’m…worried about you.”

Jim’s eyes grew round, emotion swimming in their blue, bottomless depths.

“I know I don’t say it a lot, and don’t expect it either. I’m gruff, that ain’t gonna change. But I do care about you. Let me give you this hypo and if your fever comes down enough I won’t give you another one. I just need to know that you’re going to be okay.”

“Well Bonesy, if I had known you cared this much!” Jim’s voice was syrupy and he threw his arms around Bones, only drawing back when Bones took the chance to plunge the hypo in the side of Jim’s neck. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys,   
Another BINGO fic in the bag. I hope you guys enjoyed it, if you did please leave a kudos or a comment, they always make my day. Please let me know if you wanna see more Star Trek fics!
> 
> Thanks,   
C.


End file.
